I could barely sleep, while the night gown was a nice change of apparels, the bed was too soft and comfortable to sleep on but that was the least of my problems. I had slipped the day before with General Vladimir, I wouldn't take him for a man to be one to hold grudges considering how many people he's killed but if he does that would mean more enemies than necessary.
I sat down on a wooden chair and faced the window which I left the curtains closed and began to ponder on a way forward. Getting to this stage of my plan was sincerely the easy part, everything from here on out had to be carefully calculated. One slip up and the nobles would be lining up to eat my bones, not that any of them will expect me to survive the trials.
The trials were supposed to give me enough time to prepare to take down the Lords but King Andreas only gave me one month, one month isn't enough to plan a coup let alone execute one. I sighed out in frustration, I wasn't getting any ideas and it wouldn't help to waste time in here, I needed to do something.
A subtle melody snapped me out my train of thought, it was coming from outside and it was getting closer but no audible footsteps. Just then, the door to my living chambers swung open and a woman walked through heading straight for the window curtains, she opened them briskly letting in all the sunlight into the room and revealing her to me.
She wore a plain white shirt and blue gown with golden pattern inter weavings and brown boots. she had her golden blonde hair let down to one side of her head. Her eyes twinkled a light green hue in the sunlight. She was pretty but pretty wasn't what I was looking for.
So, I'm being assigned a handmaiden even after I pulled the "what do you stand for" card on the general, that usually works on people but I guess he must have nerves of steel that explains how he sleeps at night .
I needed someone who could help me keep tabs on the general, his happy slicing off heads hands are quite unnerving to say the least.
A handmaiden could only do so much.
"Good morning Sir" she said extremely giddy as she turned towards my bed which was in the centre of the room but to her disappointment was met with an empty bed.
"I'm over here" I said sitting on the chair across from her.
She moved back, startled and gave a small yelp.
"I apologize for my earlier behaviour" she coughed as she looked away embarrassed.
"It's okay umm… Mrs?"
"Mrs Idoia, Idoia Arino of Chryston" she said as she picked the pleats of her performed a flawless courtesy.
"Chryston?" I began startled "That's in the…"
"In the east provinces"
"Is that supposed to be a coincidence or?" I asked
"I volunteered when the offer came up, I was just so excited to meet another east province person"
"Yeah I get the feeling" I lied as I felt a small smile creep across my face. She may not be what I was looking for but her eagerness might make her easy to manipulate.
I invited her to seat and together we shared our tales of the east province both personal stories and ones that everyone there knew, but for some reason we only recalled the happy ones so in a few moments the stories were over.
"Well, Sir Alaric. This was a most intriguing conversation but I believe we best be on our way" she said as she got up and began heading towards the door.
"On our way to where?" I asked
"You plan to become the King's Advisor, do you not?", "There are things that must be done, but first I'll leave you to get dressed"
"That might be a problem" I proposed
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Kind of lacking in the clothing department" I said as I pointed towards the rags that I was still wearing from the night before maybe that's why the bed was uncomfortable
"I knew I forgot something…" she said before dashing out of the room, not before nearly falling down and then standing up to leave the room.
....
I put on the red fitted shirt with golden like designs around it and the red trousers and black shoes Idoia had brought out for me. As I stepped out of the room, Idoia was already waiting for me.
"This way please" she said as she directed me toward the southern part of the palace, the opposite direction in which Vladimir had shown me.
As we walked down the hallway, I could feel my dream replay in my mind. A royal procession of me in royal regalia walking down, I was missing the regalia and procession but a step forward is a step forward.
"Is there any particular reason why we followed the southern exit?" I asked noticing the rather lack of royal servants in this side of the palace as we passed through the southern gate.
"Didn't want to attract too much attention"
Right